This past summer I travelled to Kunming, China to participate in a Mandarin language immersion program, which marked my first time travelling outside North America. Months after returning to the States, I still struggle to answer the question, “How was China?” After studying for two months in China and being back in the United StatesContinue reading “Discourse, Distrust, and Misunderstanding”
Author Archives: Nicholas Romanow
It’s not about them. It’s about us.
Less than 24 hours after Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer was fired, CBS News would tape an interview with the ousted official to discuss the case of disgraced Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher. Spencer was officially fired for directly communicating the White House without knowledge of the Secretary of Defense, which could be considered a breach of the chain-of-commandContinue reading “It’s not about them. It’s about us.”
Why Liberals (Almost) Always Lose
How does Justin Trudeau explain modern politics? When I wrote one of my first articles for The Texas Orator last year on the nuances of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I had a vague sense of the challenges he would face moving forward. But I did not predict how those challenges would multiply before the next election. The evolutionContinue reading “Why Liberals (Almost) Always Lose”
From Regina to Kunming: The View from a Changing China
Study Abroad is supposed to be transformative: that’s the whole point. Yet, as every stubborn college student does, I underestimated how much a couple short months would change my perspective on almost everything. These are my thoughts and reflections on a trip that was the best decision I have ever made. Read about my travelsContinue reading “From Regina to Kunming: The View from a Changing China”
Populist Promises and Sovereign Illusions
“We must take our country back.” The most salient political refrain of our time is so widely endorsed that it is impossible to locate its origin. Populists from every corner of the globe all seem to share the same message, but they rarely quote each other. Their appeals to fear of subversion and to theContinue reading “Populist Promises and Sovereign Illusions”
Civics class can save U.S. democracy
As Americans, we are all inculcated with democratic values early in life. “Majority rules” determines the games we play, and “fairness” ensures that no one ought to play with a toy for any longer than the rest. Democracy is so ingrained in our fabric that most of us grow up believing democracy is the defaultContinue reading “Civics class can save U.S. democracy”
Revisiting Regime Change
Another Canadian beat me – by many decades – to say that Americans are blamed and shamed far more than they deserve. In fact, Americans now constantly blame their past selves for their predicaments. Yes, unwise decisions and poorly justified convictions have occupied America’s past and will likely recur in America’s future. But Americans succumbing toContinue reading “Revisiting Regime Change”
Labelocracy: A Nation Ruled by Labels
Diagnosing what ails the American republic is a national pastime that has indicted particular culprits such as new technology, economic inequality, and Newt Gingrich. At the risk of adding yet another sky-is-falling tome to this burgeoning literary genre, there is another clear and present danger threatening political discourse. American politics has been afflicted by rampant reductionism, otherwise knownContinue reading “Labelocracy: A Nation Ruled by Labels”
A Conversation on Canada’s Forgotten Peoples
This semester, I was lucky enough to be joined at The Orator by a couple of fellow Canadians, one of which has very graciously agreed to join me in a conversation about a recurring topic in Canadian politics: First Nations issues. First Nations are what people in the States refer to as “Native American” communities; the CanadianContinue reading “A Conversation on Canada’s Forgotten Peoples”
Democracy Promotion Begins at Home
As the polls open for early voting, the classic “I voted” stickers serve as a reminder of American civic duty, or the lack thereof. Bemoaning low voter participation is a tried and true American pastime. Yet, the most unrelenting aspect of this phenomenon is the chronic inaction by elected officials. In these midterm elections, noContinue reading “Democracy Promotion Begins at Home”
Nicholas J. Romanow 